


Sweet Little Moments

by redlionspride



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Aquariums, Baking, Dogs, Drabble Collection, Family, Flower Crowns, Fluff, Gen, Prompt Fill, Thunderstorms, sweet moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 03:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18044216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlionspride/pseuds/redlionspride
Summary: A slow growing collection of Sweet Little Moments between the Umbrella Siblings.First... Ben gets to spend a small moment of time alone with Mom, baking cookies for the others.Simple and Sweet.





	1. Special Time With Mom

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Prompt Fill for "Baking" for a discord group devoted to Ben! I hope you all enjoy it.

Ben, just 9 years old, was down at the dining table, watching Mom bake something for Lunch. He had a book at the table, trying to read in the comfort of the dim kitchen lights and the soft hum of Mom’s busy work. Others were here or there, doing what they did when they had time off. Ben was here, reading. 

Or more… pretending to read.

He sat there with the book open but he had barely gone an entire paragraph in the thirty minutes that he sat there. He was silently watching Mom putter around. At first she did the breakfast dishes, carefully washing each and drying every bowl and place. When he asked if he could help put them away for her she said she was fine. She said it so kindly that he almost felt she enjoyed this time to herself. 

When she took out the mixing bowl, he was curious, but didn’t disturb her. When she took down flour and other ingredients however, he started to grown more and more watchful, ignoring his book and leaning on the table, eyes keeping track of what she was doing. 

A cookie sheet came out and sat on the counter. With a slight smile on her face, Mom turned to peek at him. 

“Are you busy?” She asked sweetly. 

Ben jumped, and for a moment thought she was going to tell him to keep reading, so he looked down at his book like he hadn’t been staring at her all this time. “I uh…” He started to try and find something to say, but Mom saved him the trouble. 

“Would you like to help me with something important?” She asked, turning to face him, both hands so delicately placed on her hips at the waist of her apron.

Ben looked up at her smiling face and… closed his book. “I can help?” He said, sounding surprised. 

“Of course silly. All you had to do is ask.” She said and held out her arm, hand extended to him and inviting him to come to her. 

Ben slipped from the chair and hurried over, taking her hand to let her pull him closer. She pulled him beside her and rested a hand on his far shoulder, leaning into the bowl she put together. There was flour and sugar and cocoa and other things in it that Ben didn’t know. 

“What are you making?” he asked, tiptoeing up a bit to peek into the bowl. Ben was the shortest of the siblings but he didn’t mind so much. It was times like this that it didn’t matter. 

“Cookies. I thought you all deserved a little treat with lunch today.” Mom said pleasantly, smiling down at him and reaching up to give a soft pet of his hair. “Would you like to help me mix these together?” 

Ben looked up and smiled fondly. “Yes please!” He said, sounding excited to get to help. 

Grace pulled a stool over for him and Ben climbed up to sit on it. As he did, Mom handed him the wooden spoon and sat the bowl on the counter before him. “Okay, you stir and I will add the wet ingredients to the mixture. Go slowly so we don’t spill any.” 

He went slowly, turning the spoon around in the bowl and watching as she added the wet parts to it. He took his time, making sure it was all mixed in well. The mixture had gone from a light dusty white brown to a dark brown easy enough. 

“Now, there is something missing.” She said, tapping her cheek as if in thought. “What could it be?” 

Ben laughed, reaching into the bowl while she was ‘distracted’ and taking a finger full of the mixture to stick in his mouth. Mmm. Then he paused, seeing it. “Chocolate!” He said, pointing over to a bag on the counter. Chocolate chips. He was grinning now, wide and excited. Were they going to get double chocolate chip cookies for lunch? 

“Ah! That was it. What a good eye.” Mom said, reaching over to boop his nose softly. “What would I have done without you?” 

Ben felt oddly proud to be so helpful to her. Smiling almost bashfully now, a soft blush on his face as she had booped his nose and said that. He had helped! 

As Mom started to add chips to a measuring cup, Ben said in a matter of fact tone of voice “I think there should be more.”

“Like this?” She said, spilling another handful in. 

“More!” Ben said with a laugh, grinning bigger again. 

Mom chuckled and make it a cup and a _half_ of chocolate chips. “Is this better?” 

“Yes. Much better!” He laughed, mixing the firm mixture as best he could now, folding in the chips and once in a while stealing one to eat. 

This was the best. Just him and Mom making something special for everyone. She allowed him to carefully scoop with a melon baller the perfect size scoops to place on the cookie sheet, then she put it in the hot oven. 

Both of them crouched down in front of the oven, peeking in through the front. Ben giggled as they waited there. “What’s so funny, my silly boy?” She asked him, watching his face as he watched the oven. 

“Nothing. I’m just happy.” He explained, then looked up to her with all the fondness in the world. “I get to tell them I helped make everyone cookies, right?” 

“Of course. Without you I wouldn’t have finished in time!” 

“And you wouldn’t have put the right amount of chocolate in either.” he said in an amused tone. 

The two of them milled about in the kitchen, cleaning up their mess, Ben helping this time to clean up. Mom letting him dry and put away bowls and measuring cups. When the cookies were done he careful scooped them off the tray as Mom held the hot cookie sheet, and put them on a rack. 

When lunch came they all came from wherever they had spent their time off to be greeted by Mom with hot soup and grilled cheese. The smell of chocolate was intense and filled the noses of every siblings at the table. 

“If you finish your lunch, there is a surprise for each of you.” Mom said and Ben giggled. 

“What’s so funny?” Klaus said to Ben as Ben took a big bite of his sandwich, shaking his head and saying nothing. 

When they were all done a plate was placed in the center of the table. Big beautiful dark brown chocolate with chocolate chip cookies were stacked up nicely on the plate. “Everyone gets two.” Mom said happily. 

“Cookies!” Klaus crowed, reaching for one. Five blinked in and out, grabbing two before Klaus could. “Hey!” he barked, grabbing one finally. The others took theirs as well, all pleased with the surprise sweet treat. 

Ben sat there, kicking a foot back and forth under the table, watching the others eat cookies as he did as well. He decided not to tell them he got to help. If he said that, they would all want to help next time, and this was… well, it was his time. His time with Mom. He kept it to himself, nibbling on a cookie. 

Not only was it his time, but he got to have a test cookie, to make sure they were all right. After all, they couldn’t serve bad cookies! Thus he got three and time with Mom where everyone else only got two.

This was his little secret.


	2. Thunder Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hargreeves Children don't care for Thunderstorms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Prompt "Thunderstorms"

Prompt: Thunderstorms

With a thundering crash outside, a thunderstorm made itself known to the house, rattling the windows and seeming to rock the house of the Umbrella Academy in general. The wind battered at the windows and howled into the night. The rain had fallen for hours now, but the thunder had just started to do its dance. 

At 8 years old, the children of the Umbrella Academy had already spent years in training to learn their powers better. They had studied intensely and had grown together as a group of powered children who could do a lot of things. 

Thus Ben was embarrassed that he jumped about ten feet as another clap of thunder hit, rattling his bedroom window and knocking out the night light in his room. The power had gone out. For a moment he sat there in his bed, eyes wide, looking around the room as everything seemed to grow impossibly dark. 

Shadows from the flash of lightning outside spooked him and in an instant he was jumping up, grabbing his blanket and throwing it around his shoulders. He slipped his feet into his slippers and darted for the bedroom door, pausing there to open it slowly, peeking out into the long, long and very dark hallway. 

The hall looked so enormous now. He knew that at the very other end was Luther and Allison’s bedrooms. That Diego and Five were near him, with Klaus and Vanya near the center. He knew where they all were. He could go to their rooms with a blindfold on, but right now the hall way seemed so large and spooky that it would take hours to find anyone. 

Sucking in a breath he decided to do it though. Venture out into the hall and look for someone else. 

At first he stopped near Five’s door. Five wouldn’t be scared. He was no doubt asleep soundly. He’d call him a baby for being scared. Diego on the other hand would punch him in the shoulder and tell him to suck it up. 

No, he moved on to Klaus’ room, the door partly open as it was. He leaned in to peek inside, frowning. “Four?” He whispered. 

He heard a gasp from inside. Did he scared Klaus too? He held his breath. “What?” Klaus said on a hushed whisper. 

“A-are you okay?” Not ‘can I come in’ or ‘I’m scared’, but ‘are you okay?’. Out of all of them he felt that Klaus would be the last one to poke fun at him, which was a weird thing to consider, right? But he knew Klaus would understand. 

Pushing the door a bit more open, he stood there, hugging the blanket around him and frowning. He could see Klaus huddled on the bed too, his domino mask on his face. The mask they used to train in. Ben bit his lip. 

“Y-yeah. I’m fine! Come in, scaredy cat.” And then the thunder struck again, the lightning instantly too. Ben jumped and pushed the door fully open with a slam, diving in to climb up on the others bed swiftly, hiding under his blanket.

He settled in right next to Klaus and felt himself shake. He felt ashamed for being so scared, but he couldn’t help it! “Why do you have your mask on?” Ben finally asked Klaus as he peeked out at him. 

“It helps.” Klaus said, pulling his blanket up and over Ben, scooting in and huddling under two blankets now. 

“It’s because he’s scared.” They heard someone say from the door. Both jumped, looking to see Diego standing there, blanket so tightly around himself he looked like a mummy. 

“I am not!” Klaus protested. “I have my mask on so i _won't_ be scared, and it works!” 

“What are you doing there?” Ben asked softly, jumping again at a flash of lightning. Diego can’t be scared. He was the bravest of them all. Yet in the light his eyes had gone wide and he looked uncomfortable. 

“Just checking on everyone. Making sure you guys are okay. So, you’re okay?” He asked, and as another thunderclap crashed through the night Diego moved inside closer to the bed as Klaus and Ben jumped out of their skins. 

At the same time the three boys heard screams. Two girls. Both Allison and Vanya came running out of Allison’s room and into the hall, hugging each other.

Klaus called out into the dark. “Down here!” And the bare foot falls of two girls came closer, closer and closer until they were smashed in on the door frame together. Both girls had wide eyes and were holding onto each other. 

“Are you guys scared too?” Allison said, her arm looped around a tiny Vanya. 

“No.” Diego said swiftly. 

“No.” Klaus said at the same time, hand pressing his mask closer to his face. 

“ _Yes!_ ” Ben said, looking to them with wide eyes. 

Diego sighed, holding his face like he were embarrassed with everyone. Klaus pulled his blanket back and pat the bed. The girls charged in and climbed up on Klaus’ bed to join him and Ben. 

Standing by the bed still, Diego stood guard. Another crash of thunder and they all jumped. 

“Where is Luther and Five?” Vanya of the girls asked, huddled in close to Ben. 

Ben frowned, screwed up close to Klaus and holding his arm around Vanya, whispering. “One wouldn’t be scared like we are.” 

“I’m not scared!” Diego protested, crossing his arms. “I’m just making sure you guys are okay.” He moved to take a seat at the edge of the bed, staring at the open door. He wouldn’t admit to wanting the company either. 

“What about Five?” Allison said, peeking out at the door too. 

“I bet he’s sound asleep.” Someone else said and Diego snorted, shaking his head. 

Minutes went by and more claps of thunder rattled the building. They all knew Father would be upset with their display of fear come the morning, but they didn’t care. It couldn’t be helped. The girls were starting to nod off in the pile on the bed, and Klaus had his eyes covered still with the mask, head tilted back into the wall. 

It was minutes after that that Ben saw it. A bare foot and hand by the door. Out in the hall. He squinted, reaching to tug at Diego’s PJ sleeve, pointing.

Diego leaned forward, then snorted, drawing back to put a finger to his lips, then held a single finger up. Number One. Ben nodded and curled up beside Vanya, covering his sisters with the blanket more. They were safe. Diego and Luther were standing guard. 

Sliding to the floor, Diego sat up with his back to the bed, legs out. He watched Luther at the door. They were safe. 

Come morning, Grace came down the hall to see Luther laying on his side on the floor, still sitting guard before the door. Five was draped over his legs, sleeping on the other side of him. Then there was Diego, drooling down his face as his head had tipped forward to his chin. 

The girls and two left over boys were piled on the bed, looking like a group of kittens who had tried to find the most comfortable place they could find on each other. Nice, safe and warm. 

Instead of waking all of them up she allowed them another half hour, turning around to go back and finish preparing breakfast for the day. 

No one would talk about the storm that morning, but everyone understood that they were all there for each other, no matter if they were scared or not.


	3. Flower Crowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mom makes Ben a flower crown. Diego is jealous for a moment... soon everyone has a flower crown and there is nothing that Father can do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Simple Prompt of "Flower Crown"

The children are fourteen. 

On a fine spring day, Ben and Diego sat in the garden with Mom, helping her tend to flowers and watering. It was a proper sized garden in a greenhouse, meant to help further the kids education, grow supplies, and to teach the children about medical herbs and spices. It was also a proper flower garden. It was later in the years that one might understand the Reginald Hargreeves might have actually just enjoyed the garden. It might also been suspected that he had it built for Grace. A place for her to grow her own habits. 

Whatever the reason, Ben and Diego both liked the garden for different reasons. 

Diego was simple. He loved the garden because Mom did. What Mom liked, he liked, because it made her happy. 

For Ben is was almost the same, but he selfishly liked getting small treasures from the garden as well. Treasures like flower crowns. 

His first flower crown was at fourteen, where he had been pouting about the latest mission they had all gone on, and Mom tried to cheer him up. He had been sitting there watching her lace flowers together one at a time, until she had finished with a small loop of them. 

Carefully, Mom came over to place the light flowers on Ben’s head, centering it like a crown in his hair. She leaned over to kiss the top of his head as she did, giving him a tender moment to try and cheer him up. “There. Now don’t you look handsome.” She said proudly to Ben. 

He sat there, confused, looking up at her, trying to peek up at the flowers. “Handsome?” He asked. How could anyone look handsome in girly flowers like this? 

“Yes, Handsome. The white and blue in the flowers suit you very well. You are my handsome little gentleman.” 

Ben was absolutely floating after that. He wore his crown inside and walked as tall as he possibly could. That is until Diego had seen him.

“What’s with the flowers, Bennie?” Diego asked, reaching out to give a small punch to his arm. “They look like something Allison would wear when she’s being girly.” 

Frowning, Ben tried to draw back, to protect his crown. “ _Mom_ made it for me! She said it made me look handsome.” He sniffed, glaring at his brother. 

Diego looked rightfully stunned, and watched as Ben took off for his room, leaving him standing there pouting. Mom made a crown of flowers for Ben? Mom thought he looked handsome? Diego was in a bad mood for the rest of the evening. 

The next day, Ben had arrived to the garden again and found Diego seated in a wicker chair, tongue out and trying to thread a chain of daisies through each other. Mom was sitting beside him, doing the same, showing him how to do each step. Instead of being jealous, Ben scrambled in and slide into the side of Mom’s chair. 

“I want to know how to make them too!” He called out loudly enough to startled Diego into ripping one of his flowers. 

Two growled, reaching out to hit Ben in the arm. “She’s teaching me first!” And he threw the broken flower at Ben for his efforts. 

“I can teach you both, Sillies.” She said, reaching out to fluff Diego’s hair first, then to hand the mostly started crown to Ben, leaning over to show him how to split the flowers and thread them together. 

The three of them worked on two crowns for a while. When they were done, Mom helped Ben put his on again, settling it on his head and leaning down to kiss the top once again. “My handsome boys.” She said, and moved to help Diego with his. 

Diego held his out to her to try and put it on her head instead. “It will look better on you, Mom.” he insisted, but in the end she managed to convince him that he was just as Handsome with it on as well. Diego tried to protest, that boys didn’t wear flower crowns, but in the end, in order to get a kiss to the top of hi head too, he had to wear it. 

When Klaus saw the two of them in white and yellow daisy crowns, he started to crack up, to the exaggerated point of rolling on the ground. Diego moved to make a fist, about to punch his brother before Ben stopped him. A hand on Diego’s shoulder as he looked at Klaus and grinned. 

“Mom just likes us more. She thinks we’re handsome.” 

Klaus rolled in laughter more at that point, making Ben frown. 

It was a hour later that Klaus was prancing around in his own crown, and not long after that that Allison had placed a crown on Luther’s head, telling him he looked nice in it. She and Vanya both now having crowns as well.

All of the children had a crown on by dinner time. They marched down to their seats as a record played for today’s lesson while eating, each Umbrella Academy student and sibling taking their place at the table. 

Their father walked in, pausing at his seat to stare at each of his students. What was this? He moved to take his seat, snorting in disgust. “Take those ridiculous things off your head at once. This is a meal not a festival.” 

Luther was the first to speak up, looking from Allison to the others and back to father, holding a hand above his head as if to make sure his crown was still in place. “But Mom made them for us.” 

“What was that? Speak up, Number One.” The old man said, folding his napkin into his lap. 

“I said, Mom made them for us. She thinks they look good on us. Please, can we keep them on, just a bit longer?” One held his breath, as did the rest of his siblings. 

Reginald looked down the table at each of the children and how protectively they looked about the simple flowers on their head. He frowned, looking up at Grace as she stood nearby, neat, prim and perfect in her stance. He shook his head, looking down to his plate and simply said “No talking at the dinner table.” 

By the end of the day, Ben had made one more flower crown. Standing in the library, just in front of Five’s portrait, he held it carefully and looked up to him. The only one of them that didn’t get a crown today. Carefully he allowed his tentacles out, looping the crown on one and moving up up to the top of the frame. With some controlled ease he looped the crown over the top of the painting, letting it drape on the frame. 

When he was done, tentacles put away once again he stood there proudly, looking up at his brother. “There. Now all of us can be handsome. I miss you Five. You would have liked today.” He said, before taking off to his room. 

Allison had taught him how to preserve his crown, taking it off carefully and putting it between the pages of a world atlas. A large enough book to press the entire crown in.

That Atlas would collect several more crowns over that spring, all pressed and saved. All because mom had taught him how to make them, or because mom made them for him.


	4. Dogs and Donuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened when the Hargreeve children found a lost dog while sneaking out for donuts?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Dogs & Ben's love of Dogs

“Dad’s going to _freak_ when he sees this!” Klaus said with a loud laugh, dripping water on the kitchen floor and not at all helping the other two with their endeavor. 

Five and Ben were also soaked to the bone. The rain storm was pretty bad outside, with high winds and ice forming because of it. It was next to snowing, really. The three boys had snuck out to get donuts and had returned with… 

Well, not a donut. 

“Let me get towels.” Five said, making sure Ben had his hands on it before blinking out and away. 

Ben knelt there, hands around a shaggy dogs neck, mud covered and soaking wet as well. The four of them had tracked mud into the kitchen as well as water. Oh, and a dog. That was the important part here. They had found a dog. 

This dog was sitting on the sidewalk, being soaked by rain and a splash from a car. Five had yelled at the driver as it sped off while Ben rushed to check on the poor thing. It had a wire twisted around it’s leg from the nearby fence. The three kids helped untie it and free the dog before they started to sneak back home. 

But the dog followed. 

“It’s too cold to leave him out here.” Ben had said, and both boys agreed, though for a change, Klaus was the reasonable one. Dad was going to have a fit. 

Five popped back with a stack of towels, throwing one at Klaus’ face, dropping one on Ben’s head, and laying down one on the ground where they tracked the mud in. No sense making Mom clean all this up. He had his own towel around his neck as he used it to dry off already. 

“Help get him cleaned up.” Five said, kneeling on the other side of the dog, rubbing a towel over it’s cold body. The dog sat there, obedient and calm, letting the boys dry him off. 

“What are we going to do with him?” Ben asked Five as he rubbed a towel over the dogs head. “We can’t keep him here, and if we take him to our rooms someone is going to notice.” 

Klaus was drying himself off, shimmying the towel over his clothing to absorb some of the rain that way. “We could try taking him to the observatory, or maybe the green house?” 

“Not a bad idea.” Five said, kneeling there and looking up surprised at Klaus. “The greenhouse would be warm as well as a safe place for a dog. And everything is in hibernation in there, so no one would really go in there anyhow.” 

“That’s settled. Now to get him there.” Ben said, and just as he said it they heard footsteps starting to come their way. “Oh no…” 

“Go, I got this.” Klaus said, shewing them off to the door. The boys scrambled, pulling the dog along and taking off down another hallway and out to the greenhouse, while Klaus stood there in a puddle of muddy water. 

“Klaus?” Mom said, looking surprised to see him drenched and making a mess of the kitchen. 

“Hi Mom!” He said as naturally as possible. 

“Silly boy.” She said, coming over to look him over. “You’re soaked to the bone.” 

While Mom took loving care of Klaus and didn’t get mad at him for tracking mud into the house, Ben and Five made it to the greenhouse, smuggling the dog in and closing the door. 

It was in fact, warm in the greenhouse. Not as warm as the house but it was a good temperature for a dog to stay out of the cold weather. There they dried him up and tossed the towels into a pile near the door. The dog seemed much more lively now that it was warm and safe. 

“Five, what are we going to do about him? He can’t live here for long.” Ben said, kneeling and petting the dog, scuffing his fur to help it dry still. 

“It’ll be fine here for a few days. We’ll figure something out. Maybe it’s got a home somewhere.” Or maybe it was just as orphaned as all of them were. 

Days had passed and Father didn’t find out about the dog. Not yet at least. Allison was the first to hear it barking, following the noise to find a shabby Labrador in the green house. She was so pleased to see it that she snuck Luther in to meet it. 

“I wonder how it got here.” She said to Luther, petting it’s soft head and giving it some attention. 

“I don’t know, but we should tell Father.” Luther said carefully, fists on hips and watching Allison play with the fluffy mutt. 

Allison stood up fast at that, looking startled. “Don’t you dare!” 

“But he’ll find out about it on his own and you don’t want to get in trouble for it, do you?” He reasoned. 

The young girl glared at Luther and saved a finger at him. “Luther Hargreeves, if you tell dad about this dog I will never speak to you again.” 

And that was all it took to keep Luther silent about the dog. 

When Diego discovered the dog on his own, he had gone to the greenhouse to throw his knives without anyone getting upset at him. Instead he found a dog. And about 10 minutes later he had snuck into the kitchen to raid the refrigerator, bringing sausage to the dog to feed it. 

Diego thought he was sneaky. He secretly called the dog ‘King’.

Ben had introduced Vanya to the dog (who he was calling Stormy, because they found him in a storm). He had found her practicing her violin and sat there listening for a while. When she took a break he asked if she could keep an important secret. 

He made her swear on her life. 

She clearly swore, and so he took hold of her hand and pulled her along, sneaking off to the greenhouse. 

“Don’t be scared. He’s a really good boy.” Ben said as they got to the greenhouse. 

“A boy?” Vanya asked, confused. Ben handed a ball to her and smiled. She was even more confused. 

“I call him Stormy. Come on. He’s sweet.” And opened the door, sneaking inside. He waved a hand to her and she followed. 

Inside the greenhouse, Stormy came running to Ben and Vanya, jumping and spinning around. Vanya gasped, closing the door and leaning into it, eyes wide. “Ben! What’s he doing here?!” the dog came closer, dancing around a bit and looking at her. Vanya looked scared, unsure of what to do. 

“Throw the ball.” Ben said first, then laughed, patting his knees to get the dogs attention. “We found him caught in a fence and brought him home. It was really old out. He’s been here a week and no one has noticed yet!” he didn’t realize that everyone had noticed but Dad. 

Vanya lifted the ball, then threw it with a bit of a squeak, drawing her hand back like she was worried it might try to take the ball from her that way. But the ball flew and bounced, and Stormy chased after it, bouncing and diving after the ball. Ben laughed. 

“He’s a good boy. And very soft, once we managed to brush his hair out.” 

“We? Who else knows?” Vanya asked, moving to stand slightly behind Ben as the dog returned with the ball. 

“Oh, just me, Five and Klaus. I thought you might like to meet him too is all.” He crouched down to take up the ball and hold it to her. Nodding his head to say to throw it again.

She did, and watched the dog run off down the row in the greenhouse. 

“Relax, Vanya. He won't hurt you. He doesn’t even have fleas.” Ben laughed, dropping to a knee and as the dog returned he ran his hands up and down either side of the dogs head and neck. “What a good boy.” he told him, picking up the ball again and holding it to Vanya to throw again. 

She did, tossing it much farther this time, watching the dog tear off at a fast pace to get it. Ben tugged on her hand and pulled her to crouch at his level. As the dog came running back it skidded to a stop before the two of them. 

“Pet him! He’s so soft.” Ben pulled her hand to the dogs coat, making her feel the softness of his fur. She seemed scared at first, but then her fingers sank into clean shaggy fur and she melted into petting him like Ben was. Soft at first, then with a bit more vigor. 

“See? He’s a good boy. Aren’t you, Stormy. A good boy.” Ben praised the dog. 

The two of them played fetch for a bit longer, Vanya warming up nicely to the dog, just as Ben knew she would. 

With a pop, Five appeared in the greenhouse with a paper in his hand. “There you are.” He said to Ben, then frowned, pointing. “What’s she doing here?” 

“I thought she would like to meet him. She won't tell, will you Vanya.” 

“On my honest.” Vanya said, slashing a finger in a X over her heart. She laughed as the dog came back, running into her and getting more scratches and even some cuddles from the girl. 

Five looked surprised, then actually smiled as he heard her laugh. That was such a rare sound from their sister. He was pleased with that answer. “All right, but you might like to know, Prince here has a home.” He said, unfolding the paper and showing a Missing Poster. The words ‘He goes by the name of Prince’ were typed out at the top. A picture of the dog with a shiny coat and a blue collar was there, and a phone number that said ‘reward’ on it. 

Ben’s face fell and Vanya stopped giggling. 

“He has a home!” She said, mouth falling open. 

“What? No!” Ben said suddenly. “But, he has a home now. And he doesn’t have that collar. And why did they abandon him out there on his own? No. He’s… he’s our dog now.” 

Five frowned at that, reaching down to pet Prince. “You know this was just temporary. Dad can’t know we have a dog, and it says he was lost. Not abandoned. They wouldn’t be looking for him if he was abandoned. Come on, we need to get him home. I already called and told them to meet us at the donut shop.” 

Ben looked so sad, shoulders drooping and head falling forward. Five had already called. Damn. “Okay…” He said in the most dejected sounding voice. 

“Can… can I come with you?” Vanya asked softly, standing there between the two, looking hopeful. 

Five looked her over, then nodded. “OF course. Come on, let’s get going while we can.” 

The three of them managed to tie a loose rope around the dog's neck and lead it to the donut shop without getting caught. They waited there until a blue car pulled up, a man and his daughter got out of the car, looking around. When the girl saw the three kids and the dog, she pointed and said. “Dad! It’s Prince!” loudly. 

Ben flinched, keeping his head down. Damn. 

Five nodded to the others to move, and they carefully lead the dog to the girl and her father. “Hi. You must be Robert.” he said matter of factly, offering a hand shake. Ever the polite one. 

The man nodded, reaching out to take the hand and give it a shake. “I am, and this is Melissa. We’re so glad you called.” 

The girl was on her knees, hugging the dog tightly to her and nuzzling into his coat. Vanya carefully handed the rope over to the girl, smiling at her and the affection she showed for him. “I can’t believe you found Prince. Thank you so much!” the girl said. She couldn’t be much younger then the Hargreeves themselves. 

Ben still said nothing, standing back and letting Five deal with it. He was still upset that they couldn’t keep Stormy. 

The man, Robert, started to pull his wallet out. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing Prince home to us. There was a reward, let me--” But Five held up a hand, stopping him. 

“The rewards not needed. It’s what we do. We’re just glad to have found his home.” Five said in his best adult manner, trying to be older than he was. 

The man paused, lowering his hands, then looking at how happy his daughter was, he shook his head. “No, I need to give you something for your troubles. You took good care of Prince.” 

Ben sucked in a breath, let it out in a deep sigh, and finally spoke up. “Buy us some donuts and we can call it even? If you really want to that is. But i didn’t mind taking care of him while we had him.” 

Five gave a glance to Ben, then nodded. “Donuts seems fair.” he said to the man. 

A few minutes later they all had a large donuts in hand and waving goodbye to the blue car that carted Stormy away. As they snuck off back towards home, stuffing their faces, Ben spoke softly. “I’m going to miss that dog. I wish we could have one.” 

“Me too.” Vanya said softly. 

Meanwhile, back home Diego had raided the refrigerator for deli meat, sneaking into the greenhouse and whistling. “Come here, King! I got some treats for you!” he said proudly, kicking a ball as he came in. There was no sound. 

He looked around the greenhouse for a while, not finding the dog. 

Disappointed, Diego ate the deli meat and sat there sadly, throwing a ball so it returned to him each time.

He had loved having a secret dog for a while.


	5. The Aquarium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission at an aquarium brings Ben's attention to a small pink octopus. They have a small bonding moment.

Prompt: Aquarium 

Who attacks an Aquarium? The team was called out to a hostage situation at the local Aquarium. Seven animal rights protesters got a little out of hand in their campaign, going from peaceful rally to guns pulled and threats made until a dozen or so hostages were taken. Demands that the animals be set free were made. 

It was a silly situation, and one that Hargreeves didn’t want to deal with, but it would get his Umbrella Academy kids an opportunity to be in the papers again, so he dispatched them all. 

It was an easy fight. 

Barely a fight at all. 

Three did her Rumor thing and took care of most of it, while One and Two took care of the two men wanting to fight. Four and Six? They were a bit bored. Neither of their powers were really all that needed here, and Six didn’t want to hurt any of these people anyhow. They weren’t bad people, just upset people. 

As the two of them waited off to the side, Four reached out to tug at Six’s shirt. “Hey. Hey come look at this. I found your little brother!”

Ben frowned, confused at that. He moved over to the tank that Klaus had his face pressed up against. “What do you mea--oh.” He snorted. 

In the tank was a little pink octopus, slowly climbing off a rock and closer to the window.

“Hey little guy. Hey.” Klaus said, tapping the glass and grinning. “Look how cute he is. Kind of like your belly tentacles.”

“They aren’t cute, Four.” Ben said in exasperation.

“This guy is pretty cute though, so how can you say yours aren’t?” Klaus said with ease, grinning at the glass and tapping it again. 

“Whatever. It won’t come when you call.” Ben said, leaning into the glass now. The octopus started to look right at Ben and move more towards him, slowly, each little leg shifting and moving through the water to him. “Huh…” 

“Do your thing! See what happens!” Klaus said excited as the little creature moved closer to them. 

Ben frowned more, “No I don’t want to scare him.” He protested, his hands resting on his belly as if to hide the tentacles away from the poor thing. 

Klaus shook his head, hands on the glass and talking to the octopus. “Hey there little guy. You won’t be scared, will you. I bet he’d think you’re a papa octopus. Come on! Just for a moment.” 

“Dad won't approve…” Ben started, staring at the little thing as it came closer. 

“Who cares if he approves! It’ll be cute. Come on!” 

With a sigh he lifted his shirt, exposing his belly to the aquarium for the moment. Might as well prove Klaus wrong and scare the thing. He let the four giant tentacles out, all four of them plastering to the glass and little suction cups popping as the wriggled and moved on the glass. 

To his surprise, the little octopus didn’t run off or even flinch. Instead it moved closer, climbing up the inside of the glass as if trying to grow closer to the tentacles on the glass. 

Klaus started laughing, reaching out to punch Ben in the shoulder lightly. “That a boy, Six! Look at that! He thinks your a friend. Our little Octopus boy.” 

Ben laughed, letting the tentacles roam over the glass a bit, exploring it like they wanted to get in and play too. “Okay, okay. You’re right. It’s not scared. It’s kind of cute, for a little guy.” 

There came a booming voice from behind them. “Six!” the sound of their fathers sharp tone had sobered both of them up instantly. “What ARE you doing? Put those away and come over here at once!” 

Ben winced, sucking the tentacles in and shoving his shirt down stiffly, giving Klaus a nervous glance before pulling back away from the glass. “Gotta go, little guy.” He whispered to the octopus and started to back away. 

Klaus winced too, patting the glass as the little pink octopus started to drop back to it’s rock. “Sorry, my dude. Later.” 

The two boys turned to run over to their Father, though Ben kept looking back at the tank, smiling a bit. 

He could have sworn the octopus was waving at him. 

Klaus would tease him later, about sneaking out to the aquarium to visit his adoptive son some time. Once in a while they even did it.


	6. A Hazy Shade of Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus is in withdrawls. Ben? he can't find a way to comfort Klaus other than... sing to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one deals with older Klaus and Ghost Ben, so mention of drug use is made here.

Prompt: Singing

When Ben was younger he would sing in the shower. In a place that it was just him and no one else would hear. 

Others heard, of course, but they never poked fun at him for it. They all did it really. 

Luther sang privately to his records in his room, his voice drowned out by the actual song. 

Allison sang into her hairbrush while getting ready for the day. Private in her own room. 

Diego didn’t sing, but he did hum a lot… when no one was watching. Though he was more often caught dancing than singing. 

Klaus couldn’t carry a tune and was proud of it, singing all kinds of made up songs whenever and wherever he wanted. 

Five? If you asked him he would deny it firmly. He did not sing. He liked good music, and that was that. But on rare occasion, while sitting on the roof of the house, he would sing the lullaby that Mom was programmed to sing to them. 

Vanya didn’t sing but hummed. She would easily be caught humming a tune of any song she was working on memorizing. Her hums were just as beautiful as any violin sound made. 

Ben was the one that would belt out rock songs in the shower, as if no one could hear him. 

And he was _good._

When he died, the music stopped for most the household. 

Now a days the only person who could hear him sing was Klaus, and the only times that happened were not very _good_ times.

Klaus lay in a strange bed, crashing at a friends place for a bit. He exchanged drugs for the safety of this pad. Drugs he couldn’t really afford to give away. Or so Klaus would say. He regretted paying in his last bottle of pills, because he was craving them at the moment. 

The voices in this place were loud, ghosts screaming to try and get his attention. To make matters worse, he was feeling the withdraws. Klaus was so out of it he didn’t realize that Ben was sitting right beside him, looked worried over at him. 

No, Klaus was shaking, itching, feeling the need for something in his system. To drown out the voices and the vices. It was a weird little moment that he heard it. A soft voice. 

Ben was singing. 

“...Hang onto your hopes my friend. That’s an easy thing to say, but if your hopes should pass away, simply pretend. That you can build them again! Look around, grass is high, fields are ripe, it’s the springtime of my life…” 

He sang is softly, almost lazy like. Simon and Garfunkel’s Hazy Shade of Winter. Klaus knew it was one of Ben's favorite, and he understood why. His voice was perfect for it. 

There was something about those words too that hit Klaus. He reached out to try and touch Ben, but he went right through him. For a moment he felt frustrated, his eyes starting to well with tears. 

Instead of touching Ben he touched himself, his hands pressed to his face, hiding his eyes and tears. 

“...Won't you stop and remember me…” Ben sang softly, still going along with the song. He wished he could pet Klaus’ hair, to comfort him a bit better than this. He had always been frustrated that he couldn’t bring any real comfort to his brother. Singing was about the only way he could. 

He let Klaus cry, wanting to hug him until he fell asleep. Instead he just sang, softly trying to help relax the man. 

And it worked. The second time through the song, simple and lazy and soft, Klaus was relaxing, crying into his hands but slowly starting to let go. To give in and allow his tired body to rest. 

When Klaus’s eyes closed he had turned in a bit to Ben’s ghost like hip, pretending to be as close as possible. Ben didn’t move. He sat there, ‘leaned’ against the headboard, slowly turning the song into soft humming. 

He hummed for a while, just a soft tune to keep the other resting. Scared that if he stopped he might wake up again. 

Klaus slept through the withdrawals that evening, though it didn’t mean much for the day to come, but that was tomorrow, not now. Now was just a moment between the two. A soft song and a needy ear.


End file.
